Pore level visualization of foam flow in a silicon micromodel. SUPRI TR 100

摘要

This paper is concerned with the behavior of foam in porous media at the pore level. Identical, heterogeneous silicon micromodels, two dimensionally etched to replicate flow in Berea Sandstone, were used. The models, already saturated with varying concentrations of surfactant and, at times, oil were invaded with air. Visual observations were made of these air displacement events in an effort to determine foam flow characteristics with varying surfactant concentrations, and differing surfactants in the presence of oil. The observed air flow characteristics can be broadly classified into two: continuous and discontinuous. Continuous air flow was observed in two phase runs when the micromodel contained no aqueous surfactant solution. Discontinuous air flow occurred in runs containing surfactant, with smaller bubble sizes appearing with higher surfactant concentrations.